“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
- KJV Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
- NKJV But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
- NASB Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.
- NLT Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus defends Mary, saying she has kept the ointment for the day of his burial. He receives her act as preparation for his death.
Overview
Jesus rebukes the criticism and honors Mary's deed, interpreting it in light of his approaching burial. Whether or not Mary fully grasped its meaning, Jesus invests her devotion with prophetic significance. The verse keeps the cross in view even amid a scene of honor and fellowship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 26:12By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial.
- Mark 14:6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
- Matt 26:10Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
- Matt 27:57–60When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.
- John 19:38–42Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.
- Mark 15:42–47Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
- Luke 23:50Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,
- Ps 109:31For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.
- Zech 3:2And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 12:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.